He's not so bad
by Clementine Buttersnaps
Summary: "He's not so bad I guess," Gale remarks quietly. -Gale decides to suck it up and be nice to Peeta, sort of.- Oneshot inspired by the talk between Katniss and Gale from DITS in chap. 2
**Sorry I posted and deleted, for some reason there was all this code mixed in and I didn't have time to fix it. But here it is, debugged and ready for your viewing pleasure. I now turn you over to our regularly scheduled author's note-**

AN: Hello all! I was reading through some random chapters of DITS and this idea came to me...

Gale apologizing to Peeta? How will that work? Hmm...

Just an FYI, this is set during and after their little Harvest party.

Some mild swearing as well.

...

Gale watches Peeta twirl Prim around the Everdeen's backyard, he watches Katniss clap to the beat of Vick's fiddle and laugh when Peeta picks up Prim and spins her.

He watches the way Katniss beams at him when he finally turns his attentions back to her; the blush -that she would vehemently deny it's existence- that stains her creamy olive skin when he extends his hand, and the carefree giggle she lets out as they prance around the yard.

Peeta wasn't so bad. If he could make Prim dance and shriek with laughter. If he could listen to her endless stories with a genuine smile. If he could -without fail- bring a small cake, just for Mrs. Everdeen, and receive the smallest of smiles in return. If he could coax such childlike behavior from Katniss, more befitting of someone her age-

No, Peeta wasn't so bad.

He made a promise to Catnip, he'd be nice to the kid if the situation called for it. He wouldn't go out of his way to be his friend, but he couldn't keep going the way things were. He might have known Katniss all her life, but it was pretty clear who she'd choose if he pushed her.

With that in mind he made his way to the bakery, having hunted while Peeta and Katniss were in school. He had a fat squirrel he could trade, and if the kid was there he wouldn't have to try and corner him later.

He knocked on the door quickly and stood back, there was a commotion before the door was opened, Gale coming face to face with Rye Mellark.

Though Gale wouldn't ever admit it, he didn't mind the older Mellark boy. They politely stayed out of each others way, but if their paths did happen to cross, they would nod in passing.

The only interaction the two ever having had had been a few years ago, some punk kid had made a comment about Gale's mother and Gale had punched him. The kid had friends with him that didn't see fit to watch their friend get his ass kicked, and decided to step in.

Rye and a few of his friends had been passing by- he had just liberated a bottle of liquor from one of his mothers stores and were on their way to the slag heap to drink it- when Rye had seen Gale outnumbered, they scared the other guys away. Then they proceeded to sweep Gale along with them and gave him his first taste of the fiery drink.

Since then, the boys had been amicable, but never speaking of that day again.

"Hey, Hawthorne." Rye greeted, the mischievous gleam that always seemed to be present in his eyes, shone a little brighter. There was some tapping followed by loud banging from behind him.

"Damn it, Rye! Lemme out!" Came a muffled voice that could only belong to the youngest Mellark.

"Hold that thought, Hawthorne." Rye said with his index finger raised. Gale lifted a single brow as he watched Rye skip to a closet and opened the door, allowing Peeta to fumble out.

Peeta stood and dusted himself off, before rounding on his giggling brother. "I'm gonna kill you!" He yelled before jumping on his brothers back. They wrestled a bit before Peeta had Rye pinned.

"Alright, little brother! I give!" Rye shouted while he was laughing.

Gale stood awkwardly at the door, shuffling his feet. He just wanted to apologize and get the heck out of there.

"Oh, Peety..." Rye sing songed, still trapped under his brother. "We have a gentleman caller, perhaps you should see what he wants." He finished, his voice sounding like a southern lady.

Peeta jerked his head to the door and spotted Gale. He quickly leapt off his brother and made his way over.

"What's wrong? Is Katniss alright? Is Prim ok?" He asked hurriedly.

Gale suppressed a chuckle, that was one thing Peeta had going for him, his unfailing concern for Katniss and Prim. Gale could be nice to him for that reason alone. "Everything's fine, Peeta," Gale assured him.

Peeta winced at the sound of his name coming from Gale, he's pretty sure this is the first time it's been said. "Oh," he says relaxing a bit. "What can I do for you then?" He asked, crossing his arms.

Gale wanted to roll his eyes, he's been nothing but an asshole to this kid and Peeta has the gall to be nice to him? "I was just wanting to trade."

"Sorry, Hawthorne, but daddy isn't home, is he, Peety?" Rye taunted, still sprawled on the floor. Peeta turned away from Gale and told his brother to shut up.

"My dad won't be home for a while. Do you want to wait? He usually gives you a loaf for one right? I could do it, if you don't mind." Peeta offered with a timid smile.

"Yeah sure, hey listen-" Gale started, but paused when Peeta took the squirrel and disappeared behind the door. He came back a second later with a paper bag and handed it to Gale. "Look," Gale tried again, clearing his throat. He looked away from Peeta's suspicious eyes. "I just wanted to say that I'm sorry. For everything. Now I don't want to be friends, but I can admit I was wrong." He finished, finally meeting the blond boys eyes.

Peeta's eyebrows rose in disbelief. "Is this a joke?"

"Look, Mellark, I may be a lot of things, but I ain't a liar." Gale growled.

Peeta regarded the brooding man before him, mulling things over before his face turned humorous. "Katniss made you talk to me didn't she?"

Gale looked stunned momentarily before answering. "No, she didn't. I just figured if you were going to insist on sticking around I could stand to be a little nicer to you. For Katniss' sake,"

Peeta's eyes danced with amusement. "You're scared of her, admit it."

"I will not," Gale huffed.

"Oh that kitten has sharp claws." Rye threw in, still laying lazily on the floor. "I laughed at her book report she read out loud for Peet last week and she put me in a headlock." He said sitting up. "I'm not complaining, or anything, she's certainly blossomed." Rye finished, wiggling his eyebrows.

Gale's hands tightened into fists. He knew Rye liked to joke, so he was trying really hard not to punch him in the face.

"Will you stop saying things like that about her?" Peeta seethed.

"You gonna finally tell her you love her?" Rye shot back seriously.

Gale's eyes widened at that, he knew bread boy liked her- heck, lots of guys liked her, they were just too scared of her to admit it.- but he always thought it was a passing fancy, he was just waiting for the day some Merchant girl decided to sink her hooks in him; then he wouldn't have to worry about Peeta coming between him and Katniss anymore.

Watching Peeta quietly berate his brother, Gale resigned himself to fate. He never understood how Katniss and the usually shy boy before him became friends, or why they spent so much time together. But he knew, at least on some small level, that Katniss would soon realize Peeta's feelings for her. And it scared him that she most likely would reciprocate them. For all his life he had only been sure of a few things, Katniss' friendship being one of them; and that somewhere down the line Gale had fallen for that skinny, gangly, timid girl he had seen in their early days of hunting with their fathers.

She was no longer too skinny, and the rest of her caught up to her arms and legs, she was loud and full of life. And only in his thoughts he could freely admit his affections for her, but looking at Peeta now and all of the memories of the unlikely friends he had; Gale knew whatever he might feel for his childhood friend would be one sided.

But until the day Katniss pushed him away he wouldn't stop being her friend, and he wouldn't stop loving her. He'd be there when Peeta left- surely his mother already had arrangements- and married a Merchant girl. He'd be there when she needed someone to pick up her pieces and he'd fix her. Katniss was a girl worth waiting for.

"Are we good, Mellark?" Gale asked, interrupting the bickering brothers.

Peeta looked at Gale, blushing at having forgotten someone was watching him fight with his brother. "Uh, yeah, sure." He said, still looking uneasy at the prospect of Gale coming to him to apologize.

Gale nodded curtly at the brothers before walking down the steps of the back entrance of the bakery.

"I'm scared of her too!" Peeta called after him, mirth infecting his voice.

Yeah, Peeta wasn't so bad; he could lose her to someone worse.

...

AN: Well at least Gale knows Peeta is a good guy, he still doesn't like him hanging around Katniss and seems pretty darn sure he'll up and get married to someone else.

Sigh, I almost feel sorry for the poor blind fellow.

And I just HAD to throw Rye in there, I wish I would have included him more in previous chapters.

Anyway thanks for reading!


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